Here we are at the end of an incredible residential where memories for life have been made!
Today we spent the day at Paradise Park, or ‘El Parko del Paradisio’, as I like to call it. It’s always a firm favourite among the year 6 pupils, and each year we are reminded why. Set in the idyllic grounds of Glanmor House, this wildlife sanctuary houses many rare species of bird including Humboldts penguins, macaws, flamingos and eagles, as well as otters, red pandas and rare goats. All of the animals are healthy and happy – it’s clear they are very well looked after and given plenty of regular exercise.
After a super scenic bus ride along the coast roads to the nearby town of Hale, we walked for 10 minutes to Paradise Park and started the day by watching the penguins being fed, accompanied by an informative talk by one of the resident wildlife experts. We met Spneb, who is believed to be the oldest Humboldt penguin in the world! We then had a lovely calm walk around the various enclosures, and the pupils were fascinated by all the incredible animals. They fed the goats and then we watched a stunning display of falconry flights, in which we saw a Harris hawk, a macaw, a vulture and a bald eagle swooping and diving in a great show for the public.
After some lunch it was time for the main event: soft play in The Jungle Barn! The vertical drop slides were a focal point of the activities, with our brave pupils either endlessly going down the slides and then back to the top again, then down again, or sitting at the top building up the courage to go down, egged on by their supportive classmates. We spent an hour in there and then caught a miniature train ride around the grounds before watching a highly entertaining parrot show in which some of our own pupils volunteered to get up and hold out perches for them.
When we got back from Paradise Park, we had curry for dinner, and then we were joined by Nicole Tesseyman who is a very talented local singer who specialises in sea shanties. She put on a workshop in which the pupils could sing and stomp along. But the main aim for the workshop was to create their own sea shanty in groups with lyrics based on their time at St Ives! It was great, and all the children got fully involved. It’s so nice to add an extra dimension of learning and culture to the trip; especially one that captured the attention of the class so effectively.
The children are currently in the land of nod, and their cases are packed and ready for tomorrow. We can’t wait to see Bodmin Jail – and they can’t wait to see all of you, parents! We will keep you updated on the journey, so keep an eye out for the ETA via ping or Dojo.
Dan
